Willis stutson



Oct. 16, 1928. W- $TUTSON DQQR RETAINER Fi led "but. 151925 Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

WILLIS S'IU'TSON, OF WINNETKA, ILLINOIS.

7 DOOR RETAINER.

Application filed October 15, 1925., Serial No. 62,497.

This invention relates to door-retainers, and relates particularly to door-retainers adapted to prevent rattling or other relative movements between the door and its frame in an automobile or other vehicle.

In accordance with the present practice of preventing rattling between the door and frame member, a housing containing a resilient metallic means, usually bowed springs, is mounted on the frame member for receiv- Ping a wedge-shaped, non-resilient metallic tongue which is mounted on the door. These features are found to be very objectionable in practice and the device must be replaced several times during the life of the car, due in the most part to wear.

These objections are caused particularly by the point contact afforded between the bowed spring member and the wedge-shaped tongue, metal being opposed to metal, and the resilient receiving member being fixed to the stationary frame member.

In order to eliminate tionable features, I provide a resilient metallic tongue protruding from, and mounted on, the door to be received between two hard fiber blocks mounted in a casing which is recessed in the frame member. As the engaging surface of both the fiber blocks and the tongue are in the same parallel plane, there is contact throughout their entire length, which reduces to a minimum the stiffness required by the spring. If the stress is distributed, the spring yields to a greater extent, yet more effectively secures its object, metal opposes a hard, fiber, and the yielding member is mounted on the door, wear is practically eliminated and the expense of production is lessened.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a yielding dovetail device of a design which will be relatively simple in form and inexpensive to make.

Another object of my invention is to provide a yielding dovetail device comprising a receiving member to be mounted on the door frame and a resilient tongue member mounted on the door.

A further object of my invention is to provide a yielding dovetail device wherein the engaging surface will be of two different materials andin contact throughout their entire length. i

' Other objects and advantages will be apthe foregoing obj ecparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view through my device in a closed position when mounted in the door and frame member;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the door in a partially open position; A

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient tongue member;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the receiving member; and i Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modification of my device in a closed position when mounted in position in the door and frame member.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the construction shown therein comprises a yielding resilient projecting device 10 of spring steel material secured to the swinging edge of the door 11, and a non-resilient receiving device 12 secured in a recess in the door frame 13. The resilient projecting device is formed of a single piece of sheet material shaped to provide two leaf-spring members 1 1 and a common base portion 15 uniting the leafspring members. The resilient device is secured to the edge of the door by means of screws 16 extending through holes 17 in the leaf-spring members and base portion and in to the body portion of the door.

The receiving device comprises a stamped sheet metal casing 18 seated in a recess in the door frame 13 and having upper and lower compartments or divisions in which are seated a pair of fiber blocks 19 spaced a sufficient distance apart to snugly receive the leaf-- spring portions of the projecting members when the door is closed and squeeze them toward each other to place them under compression.

' The entrance edges of the fiber blocks are bevelled off, as indicated at 20, to provide a flaring entrance for the projecting leafspring members, and the entering ends of the edges of the leaf-spring members are also rounded OK, as shown at 21, to facilitate their entry between the fiber blocks. In order to hold the fiber blocks securely in position, the

material of the sheet metal casing is pressed inwardly, as indicated at 22, to provide inwardly extending ledges which engage the corners of the fiber blocks to prevent any vertical movement.

The material of the door frame is rabbeted out to permit the entry of the main portion of the casing which is secured in position by means of screws 23 extending through flange portions 24 of the casing into the body of the door frame. It will be seen that the construction shown, provides for a bearing engagement ofconsiderable extent between the leafspring members and the fiber blocks, these parts being in engagement substantially throughout their length.

It will also be seen by referring to Fig. 1, that there is no sharp engagement between the leaf-spring members and the fiber blocks, as the leaf-spring members are of curved contour providing a curved cylindrical surface engaging the flat surface of the fiber block. This minimizes the wear between the leafspring members" and theofiber blocks, due to any jarring or relative motion between the door frame and the door caused by body weaving or vibration of the car. The leafspring members diverge slightly from the base portion, as indicated at 25 so that a leafspring of substantial extent is provided.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 comprises a receiving device 26 of resilient yielding construction seated in a recess in the door frame and a projecting device 27 of non-resilient construction mounted on the swinging edge of the door 11. The projecting member may be of any suitable construction, such as a die casting, having a base or plate portion 28 secured to the edge of the door by means of screws 29, and a projecting tongue portion 30 which is received between the resilient members of the receiving portion.

The receiving portion comprises a pair of leaf-spring members 31 formed integrally with the base portion 32 which is secured to the body of the door frame bymeans of screws 33 extended through apertures in the spring members and base portion. Each of the leafspring members is shaped to provide a pocket in which is mounted a fiber block 34, between which fiber blocks the non-resilient tongue 30 is received when the door is closed.

' It will be noted that it is characteristic of both embodiments of the invention that a spring tongue is provided which is yleldable about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door when the door is closed. This enables the leaf spring to be made of substantial breadth as shown in Fig. 2, its width being almost as great as the thickness of the door.

. While I have shownbut two forms of my.

A spring is thus provided which strong enough to withstand the severe strain invention, it is obvious that it may be embodied in other forms covered by the ap-- tent transversely of said plane than its horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane.

2. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a substantially vertical axis and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device whichvengages the receiving device when the door is closed, one of said device's comprising a leaf spring tongue yieldable vertically about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door, said spring tongue having a greater extent transversely of said plane than its horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane.

3. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swingabout a substantially vertical axis and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door-is closed, one of said devices comprising a pair of spring tongues yieldable vertically about axes transverse to the plane of the door to move toward and from each other, said spring tongues having a greater extent transversely of said plane than their horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane.

4. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a inn substantially vertical axis and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, said projecting device comprising a spring tongue yieldable vertically about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door, said spring tongue having a greater extent transversely of said plane than its horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane. r

5.'The combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a substantially'vertical axis and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which e ages the receiving device when the door is c osed, said projecting device comprising a. pair of spring tongues yieldable vertically about axes transverse to the plane of the door to move toward and from each other.

6. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a substantially'verticalaxis and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, said projecting device comprising a pair of spring tongues yieldable vertically about axes transverse to the plane of the door to move toward and from each other, said projecting device being mounted on the door.

7. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprislng a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, one of said devices comprising an integral metal member having abase-plate portion lying substantially in a vertical plane transverse to the general plane of the door, a portion bent back from said base-plate portion and joined thereto along a line transverse to the general plane of the door, and a leafspring portion extending from said bentback portion and yieldable about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door.

8. The combination with the hinged door of an automobile and its frame of a yielding dovetail construction comprising a receiving deviceand a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, one of said devices comprising an integral metal member having a base-plate portion lying substantially in a vertical plane transverse to the general plane of the door,

a pair of spring members extending from the upper and lower ends of the base-plate portion respectively, each comprising a portion bent back from the base-plate portion and joined thereto along the line transverse to the general plane of the door, and a leafspring portion extending from said bentback portion and yieldable about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door.

9. A yielding dove-tail construction for combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a substantially vertical axis, said construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, one of said devices comprising a spring tongue yieldable vertically about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door, said spring tongue having a greater extent transversely of said plane than its horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane.

10. A yielding dove-tail construction for combination with the hinged door of an automobile mounted to swing about a substantially vertical axis, said construction comprising a receiving device and a projecting device which engages the receiving device when the door is closed, said projecting device comprising a spring tongue yieldable vertically about an axis transverse to the general plane of the door, said spring tongue having a greater extent transversely of said plane than its horizontal extent longitudinally of said plane.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIS STUTSON. 

